Fire extinguisher, pull cart among items found by paddlers in Thames River

A fire extinguisher, hub cap and pieces of tent were some of the garbage kayaker Paul Grant pulled of the Thames River Saturday and he was just getting started.

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The Chatham man and his wife Mandy Smith-Grant were among the volunteers who took part in the third annual CK Paddle & Clean event organized by the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority. Paddlers launched from the Thames Grove Conservation Area in Chatham.

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“There’s so many bigger things we can’t get,” Grant said.

This included a kiddie pool and a barrel along with several buckets.

Smith-Grant found a two-wheeled metal pull cart used carrying groceries.

The couple usually take a mesh bag when they got for a paddle on their own so they can collect garbage if they see it.

However, this was their first time taking part in the CK Paddle & Clean.

Smith-Grant said they pick up garbage “because it’s gross and we want nature to be nice, so we’ll pick up stuff as we see it, but not to this extent.”

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Grant said, “I grew up on the river, this is my playground, so I got to keep it clean.”

Smith-Grant said it felt good and was rewarding to be part of the community involvement in Saturday’s effort.

She also believes it is important to be out doing something for the environment on Truth and Reconciliation Day so that “we all take care of the land that was gifted to us.

“We need to show it a lot of respect.”

Alyssa Broeders, LTVCA community conservation educator and urban stewardship technician, said the river cleanup initiative began in 2021 as a way to provide an outdoor activity for volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was just such a big hit and we have such a dedicated group of volunteers that we’ve been bringing it back,” she said.

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The first year saw more than 900 pounds (408 kilograms) of garbage collected and just over 700 pounds (317.5 kilograms) of garbage was picked up last year.

While the total weight of garbage collected Saturday wasn’t available, Broeders said, “We’re hoping to see the trend of it going down, signifying there’s less garbage.”

She added the person who collects the most weight in garbage receives free pass to LTVCA conservation areas.

Broeders said one of the biggest benefits of collecting the trash is it helps the water quality of the Thames River.

When items, such as plastics, go into the water, they break down and degrade and harm the water quality, she adds.

Broeders said poor water quality is not only bad for humans for such things as recreational purposes it also harms aquatic and wildlife.

“We’re really, really blessed here to have one of the highest diversities of mussels in the Thames River as well as a ton of fish and turtle species at risk,” Broeders said.

Aesthetically, it’s also nice to have a clean river and shoreline, she added.

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